Why are there white spots on the nails, and how to get rid of leukonychia?

There are many ways to diagnose diseases. But most of them “show” their symptoms to the patient already at very serious stages. But sometimes it is enough to look at the nails. Many people are familiar with the white “speck” on the nail plates, which is called in medicine – leukonychia. And by its shape, quantity and even location, one can draw conclusions about health. Understanding the issue …

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Types of leukonychia

There are not many of them.

The classification by species is as follows:

• Limited. That is, partial nail damage.
• Striped. In this case, the manifestation of the disease is white stripes. May also consist of white dots. Often appear after poisoning, for example, thallium or arsenic.
• Point. This species is identified by the formation of tiny white dots. The most “popular” type, usually associated with mechanical damage to the nails.
• Total. The most difficult case, affecting the entire nail. Most often it is formed in the hole of the nail and at a very young age. Possible causes are fungus, kidney disease, infectious diseases, etc.

The main reasons for the appearance of white spots on the nails

In medicine, they are classified into several types.

Exogenous causes:

• Illiterate manicure.
• Various nail injuries.
• Chemical factors. That is, frequent contact with reagents, varnishes / paints, solvents, etc.

Endogenous causes:

• Disrupted metabolism.
• Various diseases of the internal organs.
• Diseases of an infectious nature.
• Pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, liver or endocrine system.
• Nervous system problems.
• Skin diseases.
• Fungal infection. In this case, as a rule, there is a normotrophic type of onychomycosis. Symptoms usually include total leukonychia or white stripes / spots.

Other reasons:

• Avitaminosis.
• Improper nutrition (diet).
• Protein deficiency (paired stripes across the nail).

Treatment of leukonychia – which doctor should I contact?

Healthy nails should be smooth and pink. When spots or even streaks appear, it makes sense to consult a specialist in order to exclude serious diseases.

• Who should I contact? Gastroenterologist, dermatologist, mycologist, nephrologist, cardiologist and further as necessary.
• What examinations are needed? First of all, a complete blood count. Further, the spectral analysis of the nail plate for trace elements. Analysis for the presence / absence of fungus (scraping). Checking the hepatobiliary system and the level of hormones in the blood.
• How to treat? The doctor will prescribe the treatment according to the cause of the leukonychia. One scheme is for a fungus, a completely different one is for kidney or gastrointestinal tract disease. And if the reason is a nail injury, then treatment is not required at all – there are enough folk recipes (baths, creams).

General recommendations:

• Take care of the nervous system. No stress and depression!
• Pay attention to your sleeping and eating habits.
• Drink vitamins. Consult your doctor – what kind of complex of vitamins or elements you need.
• Follow your doctor’s advice if you have fungus. Long-term treatment – up to six months. And you cannot interrupt it. Do not be lazy – follow all the recommendations, because the fungus can spread to healthy nails.
• Protect your hands from injury. Be careful with your manicure.
• Wear gloves when using household chemicals.

Homemade recipes for white spots on nails

If you have already visited a doctor and made sure that there are no serious reasons for the appearance of spots, then you can use folk recipes to quickly fix the problem.

• Rubbing liquid vitamins into your nails. For these purposes, use vitamin E or A.
• Trays with potassium permanganate. Dissolve several crystals of the drug in warm water and lower the fingers into the container for 5-7 minutes. Then we grease the nails with olive oil.
• Rubbing in garlic. Steam the fingers and spread fresh garlic gruel on the nails. The time of such a mask for nails is about half an hour.
• Mix olive oil with lemon juice (one to one) and spread the mixture on nails along with the skin around them. After 25 minutes, wash off and process with fish oil.
• Sea salt bath. Dissolve 2 tablespoons of salt in 500 ml of warm water. Dip the fingers into the solution for 25 minutes. After – rinse with cold water and grease with castor oil.
• Tea bath. For a glass of boiling water – 2 tbsp / l of green tea. Dip your fingers in warm tea for 5-7 minutes.
• Fish fat. An old recipe. Simply rub this product into your nails, massage the nail plates for about 5 minutes and then wash off the fat with water.
• Healing “cocktail”. Mix 3 drops of iodine with 5 drops of vitamin A and 60-65 ml of olive (almond) oil. Rub it into the nails.

You can also use chamomile and oak bark trays or parsley infusion with sea salt.